Tag Archives: Mutant Mudds

Mutant Mudds began life as an indie platformer exclusive to the 3DS eShop back in 2011. Since then, the title’s appeared on various other platforms, with new content thrown in for releases on PC and Wii U. Continue reading →

With Renegade Kid’s 3DS gem, Mutant Mudds, now also available on PC and iOS – not to mention its updated Wii U port which is due out before the end of March – the indie developer has evidently begun work on the sequel; which was confirmed a number of months back. Continue reading →

Mutant Mudds is looking like a valuable IP for Renegade Kid. Starting out as a (rather excellent) 3DS download title, the game later made its way to PC with the sub-title Grannie Edition – thanks to its extra twenty levels in which you play as Max’s Grannie. Later, Renegade Kid confirmed that the bonus Grannie stages would eventually be making their way to the 3DS version via free update. Continue reading →

Earlier this year, WayForward‘s Mighty Switch Force! became the first Nintendo eShop title to receive a major update post-release; the free download adding five new levels, and tweaking certain other aspects of the game.

Jools Watsham of Renegade Kid has today confirmed that one of the 3DS’s finest games, Mutant Mudds, is being ported to PC under the alias Mutant Mudds: Grannie Edition. How does this affect owners of the 3DS game, though? It was also confirmed that the Grannie Edition will include an extra twenty levels which may well be on their way to the 3DS game via downloadable content.

The PC port’s press release reads as follows:

“In addition to the 40 challenging levels featured in the original Mutant Mudds, players who purchase this special ‘Grannie Edition’ on PC will be treated to 20 brand new levels!”

And then, when queried on Twitter, Renegade Kid’s Jools Watsham posted the following response:

“Many are asking if the 20 new levels in the special ‘Grannie Edition’ of Mudds coming to PC will make their way to the eShop. It’s possible.”

Great news for those of us who’ve cleared the standalone game and are looking for some extra longevity with the title. Whether these levels, should they make it to the Nintendo 3DS, will be free (much like Mighty Switch Force‘s DLC) remains to be seen, but surely more Mutant Mudds would be worth paying for?

This week’s European Nintendo eShop update is arguably the best we’ve seen since the launch of the service in June of last year. With an original 3DS download title, the first downloadable content for a retail 3DS game and a brand-new demo, there’s plenty on offer for everyone with a 3DS and an Internet connection.

3DS Download Software

Zombie Slayer Diox
UFO Interactive
£5.40
Zombies have taken over most major cities in the world and our hero, Diox, is on a quest to put an end to the undead. Lure the zombies with your sweet songs and slick guitar solos, and cut them down with your mighty katana when they get close.

Mutant Mudds
Renegade Kid
Free
Armed with a heavy-duty water canon, Max has what he needs to vamquish his long-term nemeses: the Mutant Mudds. Max must blast and hover his way across the soiled landscape to seek out mysterious Water Sprites. Collect all the mysterious Water Sprites and wash the filthy Mutant Mudds away for good!

Virtual Console

Castlevania: The Adventure
Konami
£2.70
Count Dracula has risen from his grave to threaten Transylvania and only the chosen one – who wields the mystic whip – can stand in his way. Brandish your trusty whip, seek out upgrades to increase its power, and battle Dracula and his minions to save the day.

DSiWare

Escape the Virus: Swarm SurvivalTeyon
£1.80 / 200 Nintendo DSi Points
Dodge, wind and jump to link all pieces of DNA and build the longest chain ever while fighting off vicious viruses. Look at your surroundings and get one off bonuses such as vaccine or a micro-world equivalent of a rocket-launcher.

If our review of Mutant Mudds didn’t tempt you to download the game the second it launched, maybe the demo’ll rectify that. As for the Theatrhythm add-on content, are you pleased to finally see Nintendo embracing a digital strategy, or do you think the extra content should’ve been on the cartridge?

Mutant Mudds

Review

The Nintendo eShop has already played host to an array of 2D side-scrolling platformers, from the Super Mario Land trilogy via its Virtual Console service, to the excellent Mighty Switch Force from WayForward: from the original monochrome Mario titles to the modern, brand-new, action-packed puzzle platformer. What Mutant Mudds offers, however, is a striking cross between the two. From the developers behind first-person DS shooters Moon and the Dementium duo, Mutant Mudds sees Renegade Kid taking on a completely new genre and, quite frankly, getting it absolutely spot on.

The gameplay itself harks directly back to the retro days of the NES and the SNES, basically tasking you with navigating from the left to the right side of the screen without dying. As you’d expect, there’s a jump button to navigate the platforms, but the protagonist Max is also equipped with a gun and a jetpack – the first used to wipe out the Mudds that have invaded, whilst the latter allows Max to hover for a short time, enabling access to otherwise-unreachable platforms and collectibles. So far, not so revolutionary, but what’s there is fantastically implemented to make this a very challenging game. You will die in Mutant Mudds, and you will die a lot – especially if you’re considering going for 100% – but every time you take that third hit which fully depletes your health bar, you’ll see where you went wrong, and subsequently be able to focus on getting that little further. For a game with reasonably sizeable stages yet no checkpoints, that ‘one more go’ factor has a lot to offer here.

That said, the game’s main gimmick, which involves using launchpads to fling yourself into the background or foreground, had a lot of potential, but is unfortunately extremely limited. Unlike in Mighty Switch Force where you utilised the ‘switch’ mechanic whenever it was required, you can only hop from front to back when there’s a launchpad around – and their appearances are somewhat rare. This means that there’s no hidden platforms for you to find, and no obstacles specifically requiring you to be stood on a certain plane at a certain time. In fact, its only practical use is as a showcase for the system’s 3D effect, which we’re pleased to say is put to fantastic use in this game. You can play in 2D, but it’s no where near as immersive. When the 3D is slider is pushed to the top, the depth of field added to the game is fantastic, with background platforms appearing to be literally inches further into the screen than they are. When you’re in the foreground, Max is extremely close to the camera which does make seeing where you’re headed slightly more difficult, but the enlarged 2D sprites look really crisp in the foreground as the world passes by at the back.

In terms of length, we’ve read elsewhere online that the game is short on content, but we’d have to disagree. For £8.10 (many will scoff at that price) there really is plenty of bang for your buck. Inside each of the already-challenging sixteen levels in the first four worlds are hidden one hundred Golden Diamonds – all 1,600 of which are required to unlock the final world, which consists of another four levels filled with said shiny collectibles. And then in each of the twenty standard levels are hidden doors. Finding and entering these take you to bonus levels, meaning there’s more than double the number of levels you’d expect upon initially starting the game. What’s extra nice, though, is that these levels are entitled G-Land and V-Land, each one respectively harking back to the graphical styles seen on Nintendo’s Game Boy and Virtual Boy systems – the former ‘boasting’ green-tinted monochrome levels, with the latter’s being red and black. These levels are somewhat shorter than others in the game, but offer a much greater challenge, and add some variety to the otherwise colourful, vibrant levels.

In conclusion, Mutant Mudds is a fantastic 2D platformer that feels that it could’ve come from a first-party Nintendo studio. Anyone that might not enjoy the genre won’t be won over by the game, but for those that do will lap this up and relish its challenging gameplay and tight controls. It’s just a shame that its leading gameplay quirk wasn’t taken as far as it could have been.

4.5/5

One of the Nintendo eShop’s best games is finally set to leave North America and release in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on 21st June. That’s the word from Nintendo UK’s Twitter feed following news that the game’s six-month delay has been due to a miscommunication between the developer and Germany’s age-rating board, USK.

“UK platform fans, the wait is almost over! #MutantMudds is coming to Nintendo #eShop on June 21st.”

Since launching on 26th January over in the States, the game has received all-round critical acclaim from gamers and reviewers alike, and even seen enough success to warrant the confirmation of a sequel by Jools Watsham of Renegade Kid.

Do you plan to download the game from Nintendo’s virtual store next week?

Mutant Mudds was released on the North American Nintendo eShop earlier this year, while European gamers are still waiting for the acclaimed retro-styled platformer to get a release outside of the United States. However, in an interview with Nintendo Enthusiast, Jools Watsham from Renegade Kid has already confirmed that a sequel has been considered, and go into development at some point in the future.

Nintendo Enthusiast: Well, now that you mention it, congratulations on Mutant Mudds both commercially and critically. Will we see a sequel one day? How will you top the original?Jools Watsham: Thank you very much. Yes, a sequel will happen one day. I must keep the details secret for now. Sorry.

Maybe he’ll be able to give more information after Renegade Kid’s released its other upcoming 3DS titles Planet Crashers 3D, Bomb Monkey, and ATV Wild Ride 3D.

Are you still waiting for Mutant Mudds to arrive on the European eShop? Do you plan on downloading it?